There are many misconceptions about Thunder. This article will answer your most common questions about thunder and the noise it makes. Thunder is nothing more than a clap of air, but it can be quite audible from a certain distance. Thunder is a shock wave, caused by the rapid expansion of air. While this shock wave is audible, it cannot be heard from the ground. This is due to two main reasons.
Thunder is a clap of air
When lightning strikes the earth, it makes a noise that is similar to a clap of the air, but it is more intense as it approaches us. Thunder is a crackling noise that can range in volume from a low, steady rumble to an extremely loud, sudden crack. It lasts much longer than the lightning, which is why it is often referred to as thunder. Thunder can be heard from miles away and depends on atmospheric conditions and the distance from the lightning to the listener.
The sound a thunder bolt makes is caused by a shock wave, which is created when a sudden expansion of air causes the thunder to be heard. The sound travels through the air at a speed of about one fifth of a mile per second, which is why it is possible to hear thunder from a mile away. The sound continues to travel upwards for several seconds before it reaches us.
It is a shock wave
The sound of lightning is generated by a shock wave that originates from a thunderbolt. The sound of thunder is a cylinder of sound, exceeding 10 atmospheres, and it dissipates into a low-pitched rumble when the shock wave travels a certain distance. Depending on the distance and air temperature, thunder noise can sound like a loud crack. In some cases, it may also consist of an upsurge of upward streamers and loud claps.
A shock wave is a very thin wavefront. This wave is created by a lightning strike, which takes a few thousandths of a second to travel from the sky to the earth. This shock wave then rips through the atmosphere, raising the temperature to temperatures five times the surface of the sun. The hot air doesn’t have time to expand, and instead, the compressed air spreads out, resulting in an acoustic shock wave.
It is audible only at a certain distance
There is a general rule of thumb that lightning is audible only a certain distance away. The distance is measured from the part of the lightning bolt closest to you. The distance may not be horizontal but can be a combination of both. Therefore, the upper limit of audibility is around 35-40 miles. The distance from the ground to the source of the thunder is generally less than 3 km, so this distance is probably only audible at a very short distance.
During the summer, air temperature is warmer, which promotes the speed of sound waves. While most thunder is not audible from a distance of ten miles, it can be heard at a long distance. This is because thunder is amplified during inversions, when warmer air rises over colder air on the surface. This inversion is why lightning sounds like a rumbling noise.
It is a shock wave caused by rapid expansion of air
A sonic boom is a loud, “cracking” noise that is created when an object hits a sudden expansion in air. While light travels faster than sound, a shock wave caused by lightning travels at approximately one mile per second. In other words, lightning is two miles away if it occurs five seconds after a thunderclap. In order to understand how a sonic boom is produced, it is helpful to know the properties of air, which are responsible for its sonicity.
Shock waves are formed when the speed of a gas increases faster than the speed of sound. This causes a region of high pressure to form, and sound waves cannot travel further upstream. When this happens, a sonic boom forms, a shock wave, or shockwave, is caused. If the explosion is caused by a supersonic aircraft, the shock wave can produce damage to the aircraft.
